Countdown to Turkeyʹs local elections

The AKP is currying favour with the electorate using religion and cheap vegetables. At the same time, it is attempting to suppress any news that might cause unrest among party supporters. By Bulent MumayRead more

Authoritarian rule in the Arab world

The restoration of authoritarianism after the turmoil of 2010/11 lured some analysts into drawing the over-hasty conclusion that the Arab Spring had been doomed to failure from the start, because the citizens of these countries lacked political maturity and a real desire for change. A miscalculation, argues Emad Alali in his essayRead more

Berlinale 2019: Hassan Faziliʹs "Midnight Traveler"

Threatened with death by the Taliban, director Hassan Fazili fled to Europe with his family, filming their odyssey on his mobile phone. Itʹs not the first time that the refugee trek to Europe has been documented, yet the result is a film that not only serves as a political chronicle of our time, but is also a work of art. By Rene WildangelRead more

Women in Turkey

Not long ago women in Turkey fought to cover their hair, yet now it seems the headscarf has fallen out of favour. Seventeen years into Erdoganʹs rule, some things are floundering – including the assumption that Turkish society is becoming increasingly conservative. By Christiane SchlotzerRead more

Politics

The AKP is currying favour with the electorate using religion and cheap vegetables. At the same time, it is attempting to suppress any news that might cause unrest among party supporters. By Bulent MumayMore

The restoration of authoritarianism after the turmoil of 2010/11 lured some analysts into drawing the over-hasty conclusion that the Arab Spring had been doomed to failure from the start, because the citizens of these countries lacked political maturity and a real desire for change. A miscalculation, argues Emad Alali in his essayMore

Turkey’s emergence as a regional power has provoked suspicion, shaking the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond. As a result, relations with many regional players have deteriorated over the last decade. With diplomatic ties to the West currently at an historic low, is Turkey likely to end up out on a limb? By Stasa SalacaninMore

The tension among Kabul's political elite is palpable. Washington has been conducting negotiations for a peace deal with the insurgent Taliban in the Gulf emirate of Qatar for quite some time now, and the government in Kabul feels side-lined. Yet regardless of who is sitting around the negotiating table, almost all players in Afghanistan agree: the need for peace is urgent. By Emran FerozMore

Society

Desperately seeking migrants? Teachers, policemen, tax officials – new Germans are in great demand, especially in the public sector. But despite better career opportunities, they continue to face significant prejudice. Astrid Prange reportsMore

Not long ago women in Turkey fought to cover their hair, yet now it seems the headscarf has fallen out of favour. Seventeen years into Erdoganʹs rule, some things are floundering – including the assumption that Turkish society is becoming increasingly conservative. By Christiane SchlotzerMore

To ensure the interests of women are also taken into account in the peace talks with the Taliban, they must participate on an equal footing in the negotiations, their organisation and the implementation of the peace process. By Anne-Marie Slaughter and Ashley JacksonMore

Despite the political conflicts, a Christian Arab family has been successfully brewing beer in the Palestinian territories for about 25 years. The brewery takes both Muslim and Jewish dietary stipulations into account. Jamal Saad paid a visitMore

Culture

Threatened with death by the Taliban, director Hassan Fazili fled to Europe with his family, filming their odyssey on his mobile phone. Itʹs not the first time that the refugee trek to Europe has been documented, yet the result is a film that not only serves as a political chronicle of our time, but is also a work of art. By Rene WildangelMore

Marwa Zein has made an impressive documentary about the Sudanese women's football team, if only the national football association would recognise it as such. The players are neither allowed to represent their country at international level nor set up a domestic women's football league. By Rene WildangelMore

When Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran in 1979, he persecuted his opponents with severity. Maryam Zaree was born in a prison for political prisoners. With her film "Born in Evin" she breaks her silence. By Laura DoingMore

In the "Valley of the Clueless" in Saxony, where Arab contract workers were once employed alongside GDR factory workers, East Germans and refugees meet for a peculiar trip down memory lane. Rene Wildangel reports from this year's BerlinaleMore

Most Recent Photo Essay

Rayan Sukkar (24) lives in Lebanon's Shatila refugee camp. She was born and grew up there and works as a citizen reporter for the online platform Campji.

SWP: Libya’s conflicts enter a dangerous new phase

Wolfram Lacher argues that the UN’s ongoing attempts at brokering a political solution in Libya are being undermined by the recent advances made by Khalifa Haftar’s “Libyan Arab Armed Forces” in the south of the country.More

Tania Georgelas: My journey out of extremism

Tania Georgelas met her husband John, an American convert to Islam, online and they connected over their Islamist views. After John moved Tania and their children to Syria, she decided to escape. Now she wants to dedicate her life to countering extremism and rehabilitating ex-jihadists.More

Celebrating the conclusion of a comprehensive restoration project to salvage Chahineʹs work, Arsenalʹs extensive retrospective features 20 works – 19 full-length films and one short – Al Kahera Menawara be Ahlaha (ʹCairo as seen by Chahineʹ, 1991). Twelve films, six of which recently became part of Arsenalʹs archive, will be screened in their original analogue format.More

When love knows no bounds: the story of Klaus and Samah

Samah is a Syrian refugee, Klaus is a German pensioner. The two got married three years ago. But not everyone accepts their unusual relationship.More

"Capernaum": Oscar contender for Best Foreign Film

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki's CAPERNAUM ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life.More

Jose Casanova: The principles of religious pluralism

Specifying three principles, religious sociology expert Jose Casanova from Georgetown University argues that tolerance needs to begin with the recognition of religious diversity and plurality.More

Qantara dossier: Islamic State

What are the ideological goals of "Islamic State"? And what recruitment and media strategies does the terror militia use in the Islamic region and in the West? In our dossier, we provide information about these strategies through numerous interviews, analyses, background articles and videos.More